Fundación Aprender a Quererte

Fundación Aprender a Quererte is non-profit organization that seeks to implement education programs in Colombia. We are convinced that the best way to contribute to our country is to generate quality opportunities in education. We are an organization widely recognized in Colombia for its innovative, relevant and rigorous work in the field of education.

Our values are:

1. Innovation

2. Pertinence

3. Commitment to evidence

4. Measurability and scalability of programs

As Project Director, Mariana plans, manages, and oversees all activities related to the implementation of FAAQ’s projects. This includes program design, operation, and evaluation. She also leads the technical team, comprising our Education Specialist, Analysis Coordinator, and Communications Coordinator, as well as the Program Coordinator and any third-party staff associated with our projects. Notably, Mariana spearheads the Enseñar al Nivel Adecuado (ENAd®) initiative, our LEAP Project, making her an ideal Team Lead for this endeavor. Mariana's background as an economist, complemented by her studies in Anthropology, uniquely positions her to navigate the intersection of data-driven decision-making and the cultural intricacies of diverse social settings. Her multifaceted expertise ensures that our program evolves in a manner that is not only empirically grounded but also sensitive to the unique needs and dynamics of each community we serve. 

Our entire team’s dedication to ENAd® ranges between 60 and 80% of our functions, it being our biggest, most ambitious program, and taking up most of our time and resources. Therefore, any activities that involve the continuation, scaling, betterment or evaluation of our LEAP Project are destined to figure high on our list of priorities. Especially when mentoring and guidance by experts, such as those associated with Solved, are involved. 

We have a dedicated, articulated and ever-learning team, where every role or position has been minutely designed to cater to a specific need in our organization and our programs. Every member of FAAQ is young, highly motivated and fully committed to education, where we see education not only as our Foundation's end goal and contribution to Colombia, but also as the most important base of our organizational and professional development. In only a year, our 5-person team has successfully designed, implemented and monitored two ENAd® Pilots so far, training more than 150 teachers and reaching more than 3,000 primary school aged children in two separate regions of our country, with plans to scale to 8,000 children more by the end of this year. 

Other than ENAd®, FAAQ has a scholarship program that pays for full tuition for 21 low-income students at Colombia’s top universities and offers them a comprehensive followup and support strategy. This includes the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences focused on developing soft skills and other abilities that are important for a balanced career and life, an entrepreneurship program that supports our students’ business ideas and a mentoring program that helps with their academic, social and emotional wellbeing. 

Also, we lead Colombia’s first organized initiative for initial literacy alongside UNICEF Colombia and the World Bank. This organization is called the National Initial Literacy Network (RNAI, for its acronym in spanish), and it articulates the efforts of more than 20 different organizations that work towards guaranteeing evidence-based literacy programs in Colombia, ranging from NGOs and nonprofit organizations to government entities, such as the Ministry of Education, and academic institutions, such as the Universidad de los Andes and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana’s Economics of Education Lab. 

In sum, FAAQ’s number one priority is working towards foundational skills, for this is the necessary base for all quality improvements in education, In this sense, iterating, bettering and developing ENAd® further is the main goal of our team and of our Project Director, and the opportunity to make ENAd® a LEAP Project would only strengthen and streamline our already existing efforts to this goal. 

ENAd® is an acceleration program aimed at building foundational skills in literacy and numeracy for children before finishing primary school. 

All children should acquire the ability to read functionally between the ages of 6 and 7. Reading and comprehending what is read is the gateway to all other learning that develops as children progress through school. Therefore, when a student does not learn to read at the right time, it is difficult to expect him or her to progress successfully throughout his or her educational trajectory. In simple words: first we learn to read and then we read to learn.

In Latin America, following the COVID-19 pandemic, estimates indicate that the ratio of 10-year-olds unable to read and comprehend basic texts increased from 50% to 80%. These effects were experienced to an even greater degree by children from low-income families in rural and/or marginalized contexts. However, despite this focused disproportionality, the repercussions of reading backwardness have greater consequences for the progress of society as a whole. In fact, students' lack of basic skills aggravates unskilled labor, unemployment, poverty and crime figures.

Latin America is going through one of the worst learning crises in several decades. However, this is not a new problem. Although the enormous losses generated during the pandemic set off alarm bells about the importance of refocusing education on fundamental learning, for several years now some organizations have started to focus on the importance of education in the region. Thus, during the early years it is crucial that fundamental learning is consolidated: without it, it is difficult to expect a successful educational path.

The seriousness of this issue lies in the fact that the ability to read functionally is the most necessary skill to develop all the other competencies intended to be achieved throughout the educational trajectory. Evidence has shown, moreover, that children who achieve reading fluency in the early grades also tend to do well on broader and more demanding state assessments. Thus, ensuring that during the primary school cycle students can read functionally, with fluency and comprehension, is one of the most urgent and necessary tasks in our educational system. Analogously, it is very difficult to expect students to be able to access opportunities in areas of study related to science, mathematics, technology or any other STEM related subject if their basic numeracy skills are not consolidated before they transition into middle school. Not only this, but lacking the ability to solve even the most basic sum, subtraction, multiplication and division problems imposes a serious restriction to students’ development into functional and successful adults.

Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to concentrate efforts on the development and implementation of better pedagogical strategies and learning acceleration programs as a means to ensure that all children learn to read functionally at the right time. To achieve this, however, it is imperative to value evidence and adopt practices that have had real impact. Past experiences backed by evidence are not always taken into account when choosing the strategies that are implemented to solve educational problems.

Enseñar al Nivel Adecuado (ENAd®) was developed as the first official implementation in Colombia of Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), a success story that has been built over more than two decades by the NGO Pratham International. ENAd® is a learning acceleration program aimed at building basic skills in literacy and numeracy for all children before they finish primary school. ENAd® allows for students to be brought to the right level, according to their age, in only 120 hours of implementation. With this program, we intend to make sure that, by the end of 5th grade, every child can read functionally (i.e., with fluency and comprehension), add, subtract, multiply and divide. In this sense, ENAd® is the opportunity to bring to Colombia, with all the technical rigor, one of the most successful education programs in recent education history. 

ENAd® challenges the paradigm that children must be grouped according to their age during their school years. In contrast, targeting instruction to students’ achievement levels is the premise of ENAd®. The approach is based on assessing children in basic reading and mathematics using a standardized tool, grouping them according to their performance and using various fun and creative learning activities to focus on the development of foundational skills, rather than curriculum completion. This model has been shown to improve outcomes for low-performing children, which has been shown by several randomized evaluations of TaRL interventions in India and numerous African countries. 

In sum, ENAd® implementation involves a series of pedagogical activities designed for each specific learning competency level, for either literacy or numeracy. This allows for each child to be taught using the set of activities that will take him or her from their current level of learning to the level that guarantees that they have acquired the foundational skills in reading and numeracy. Our implementation model involves teaching these activities for at least eight hours a week during a full school semester, which should bring children up at least two competency levels, and give them the opportunity to continue their learning trajectory with a more solid base.

To date, we have conducted foundational research, where we built the literature review necessary to choose Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) as the main educational program we wanted to adopt. From there, we studied the evidence supporting TaRL and its existing impact, and we studied the program profoundly, in order to be able to understand how to adapt and implement in the Colombian context. We did this knowledge transfer directly with the support of Pratham, which has proved to be invaluable. 

Once we started implementation, we began directing formative research in the form of correlational studies that measure the number of ENAd hours received by a group of students and their correlational likelihood to advance in their foundational skills competency levels. Our organization primarily utilizes an adapted version of the ASER test as our primary data source. This test enables us to gauge the proficiency of students in fundamental literacy and numeracy skills. In numeracy, levels span from beginner (inability to grasp 1-digit number concepts) to word problem proficiency (solving basic addition or multiplication scenarios). Intermediate levels include proficiency in recognizing and comparing numbers up to 2-digits and solving subtraction and division problems. Similarly, literacy competency ranges from beginner (unable to identify individual letters) to comprehension (able to read a short passage and answer questions). Intermediate levels encompass letter recognition, word reading, and paragraph comprehension.

This ASER test serves as the cornerstone of our research, facilitating comparisons of literacy and numeracy levels among students at baseline, midline, and endline stages. To date, we have conducted results evaluations for both our ENAd® pilots, revealing significant improvements in literacy and numeracy competency among participants. These evaluations account for factors such as grade, age, and implementation success through rigorous monitoring and evaluation systems. Our Project Director and Analytics Coordinator have meticulously handled data collection, processing, and analysis for these evaluations, ensuring comprehensive and accurate insights into our program's effectiveness. Furthermore, while our current data analysis does not include control groups, we are refining our procedures and adapting them to the Colombian educational landscape. This iterative process allows for flexibility in our implementation model, ensuring optimal alignment with the local context and education system. Through continuous monitoring and evaluation efforts, we aim to further enhance the effectiveness and impact of our educational initiatives.

In addition to quantitative assessments, we have also conducted qualitative research to gather insights from teachers and other stakeholders involved in the program. Their perspectives have been invaluable in understanding the nuances of program implementation and identifying areas for improvement. Through interviews, focus groups, and surveys, we have gained a deeper understanding of teacher perceptions, challenges, and suggestions for optimizing teacher training, pedagogical activities and program implementation. This qualitative work has enabled us to tailor our approach to better meet the needs of teachers and students, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness and sustainability of our ENAd® intervention.

The data collected from our first and second pilots has yielded invaluable insights into how to maximize the effectiveness of our solution and has profoundly influenced our trajectory moving forward. Through rigorous quantitative analysis, we have observed significant improvements in literacy and numeracy competencies among students participating in our pilots. After only 30 hours of implementation in numeracy and literacy, we found that the percentage of children in grades 3 to 5 who are below the right level for their age, according to our formative assessments, went down 10 percentage points on average. This data has underscored the importance of tailored educational interventions, particularly in grouping students by proficiency level, to enhance learning outcomes in foundational skills. Furthermore, our qualitative research endeavors have provided rich insights into the nuances of program implementation, particularly in relation to teacher training, implementation models and stakeholder engagement. This qualitative research allowed us to understand the heterogeneity that we observed in the results from the different schools that participated in the first pilot, for they had different implementation models regarding key aspects.

One key revelation from our qualitative research is the pivotal role of teacher training in program success. Insights gleaned from interviews, focus groups, and surveys have guided the refinement of our teacher training methodologies, ensuring that educators are equipped with the necessary tools and strategies to effectively deliver ENAd activities. By incorporating feedback from teachers themselves, we have been able to tailor training sessions to address specific needs and concerns, particularly the pertinence on ENAd, thereby minimizing barriers to implementation and expediting the rollout of our program.

Moreover, our qualitative research has shed light on the optimal timing and structure of ENAd sessions. Through feedback from teachers and administrators, we identified that scheduling sessions during school hours maximizes student participation, engagement and attendance, and therefore student advancement to higher competency levels. This observation was instrumental in informing the design of our second pilot, where sessions were integrated into the school day, minimizing disruptions and ensuring consistent attendance.

Another finding from our first pilot was the importance of teacher continuity in student groups. We observed that students exhibited greater progress when assigned to the same teacher consistently throughout the program. Building on this insight, we have implemented a non-negotiable requirement for our second pilot, ensuring that each teacher maintains continuity with their assigned student group. This approach fosters a sense of rapport and familiarity between teachers and students, creating a conducive learning environment for skill development.

Overall, the data collected from our research and studies has provided critical guidance in refining our approach and optimizing program effectiveness. By leveraging both quantitative and qualitative insights, we have been able to address key challenges, streamline implementation processes, and maximize impact. Moving forward, we remain committed to utilizing data-driven strategies to drive continuous improvement and advance our mission of promoting foundational skills development for all students. And, most importantly, our research has shown that ENAd activities are at least correlated with the betterment of students’ foundational skills. 

At this juncture, our organization recognizes the pressing need to strengthen the evidence base of our solution through impact evaluation. While our initial research and pilot studies have provided valuable insights into the effectiveness of ENAd®, we understand that robust impact evaluation is essential to claim causality and ascertain the true efficacy of our program. By rigorously assessing the causal relationship between our intervention and improvements in foundational skills, we can demonstrate the tangible impact of our efforts and inform evidence-based policy decisions.

Furthermore, we are poised to explore more innovative research questions that expand the existing evidence base on how to make remedial education interventions successful and guarantee foundational skills for children. This entails delving deeper into the mechanisms underlying effective educational interventions, identifying key drivers of success, and uncovering novel approaches to address persistent challenges in education systems, especially in complex social contexts like the ones we find in rural Colombia. By embracing innovation and pushing the boundaries of conventional research, we aim to contribute novel insights that not only enhance the effectiveness of our own program but also advance the broader discourse on education quality efforts.

In order to achieve these goals, we are committed to fostering collaborations with research partners, academic institutions, and the public sector. By leveraging collective expertise and resources, we can undertake rigorous impact evaluations, implement experimental designs, and explore new methodological approaches to generate robust evidence. Moreover, we recognize the importance of transparency and data sharing in strengthening the evidence base of our solution. Through open access to data and findings, we can facilitate peer review, replication studies, and cross-validation of results, thereby bolstering the credibility and generalizability of our findings.

In conclusion, our organization's need to strengthen the evidence base of our solution stems from our commitment to rigorous evaluation, continuous improvement, and meaningful impact, in line with FAAQ’s key values of pertinence, innovation, and measurability and scalability of our programs. By embarking on impact evaluation efforts and exploring innovative research questions, we aim to not only validate the effectiveness of our program but also contribute to the collective knowledge base on educational interventions and foundational skills development.

We are firstly interested in investigating whether grouping students by level enhances their learning outcomes in foundational skills in literacy and numeracy. 

Secondly, we seek to elucidate the multifaceted factors influencing ENAd’s efficacy, especially those related to the Colombian context. The second question is whether ENAd is less successful in enhancing learning outcomes in foundational skills when the impacted students come from lower income families who live in areas with the presence of violence and crime. Our last question is whether a remote mentoring system, specifically designed for rural areas can be as effective as in-person mentoring. 

The LEAP Project sprint presents a pivotal opportunity for our organization to refine our formative research efforts and pave the way for advancing into summative research. Throughout the sprint, we hope to engage in a variety of formative research activities which we have not conducted to date, including usability studies, feasibility studies, case studies, and multi-measure research. And we are also committed to improving our existing user interviews, implementation studies, process evaluations, and pre-post research. These activities will enable us to gather comprehensive insights into the usability, feasibility, and implementation challenges of our program, while also assessing its impact on key outcomes. And more importantly, we wish to refine the indicators and variables we have built and chosen to measure results, in such a way that we are even more prepared to collect the right data, which will set us up for success once we delve into impact evaluation.

As we transition from formative to summative research, the LEAP Project sprint will play a crucial role in preparing us for rigorous impact evaluations and quasi-experimental studies. By refining our methodologies, strengthening our research protocols, and addressing any identified limitations, we will enhance the validity and reliability of our findings, thus ensuring that we can confidently claim causality and assess the true effectiveness of our program.

While our organization boasts a highly skilled technical team, we are deeply committed to upholding the highest standards of quality research and contributing to the existing knowledge base on educational programs for public policy. Recognizing the complexity of educational interventions and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, we believe that partnering with experts from MIT, such as those involved in this Solved LEAP sprint, could greatly enhance our research efforts.

By leveraging the expertise and resources of MIT experts, we aim to surpass the standard of quality research that has been done to date on the TaRL program and gain deeper insights into what can make it even more effective in a Latin American context. Through collaboration and knowledge exchange, we aspire to refine our methodologies, strengthen our research designs, and ultimately, maximize the impact of our program on student learning outcomes.

Putting the outputs of our LEAP Project sprint into action will be integral to the success of our future ENAd implementations, slated to commence in January 2025. This implementation, budgeted to impact 5000 students in public schools, will serve as the platform for integrating the insights and findings derived from our formative research activities. We have a focalization strategy planned, after which we will choose a City or Department of Colombia where ENAd is pertinent and needed. We will use these outputs to refine and optimize various aspects of our program design and delivery for this scaling of the implementation to new settings, and for the continuation of current ENAd projects, ensuring that our interventions are responsive to the specific needs and contexts of the communities we serve.

Furthermore, the data and evidence generated from our formative research will guide decision-making processes at every stage of program implementation. From activities adaptation to teacher training protocols, we will leverage the insights gleaned to make informed adjustments and improvements. By systematically integrating these outputs into our implementation strategy, we aim to enhance the effectiveness and scalability of our program, ultimately maximizing its impact on student learning outcomes.

As we transition into summative research, our third ENAd implementation will serve as the testing ground for rigorous impact evaluations. Through randomized control trials, quasi-experimental studies, or other robust research methodologies, we will assess the causal relationship between our intervention and desired outcomes. The findings from these evaluations will not only inform program refinement but also provide valuable evidence to stakeholders and policymakers, facilitating informed decision-making and advocacy efforts.

Additionally, we are committed to actively disseminating our research findings to the broader education community. Through academic publications, policy briefs, conferences, and stakeholder engagement events, we will share our insights and lessons learned, contributing to the evidence base on effective educational interventions. By putting the outputs of our LEAP Project sprint into action in our third ENAd implementation, we aim to drive meaningful change in educational outcomes and contribute to the advancement of education policy and practice in Colombia and beyond.

Participating in the 12-week LEAP Project sprint presents an exciting opportunity for our organization to realize significant long-term outcomes, both internally and externally. For FAAQ, the LEAP Project represents a determining moment in our journey to further expand ENAd® and refine our implementation model. Over the course of the sprint, we aim to harness the resources, expertise, and structured framework provided by LEAP experts to enhance the effectiveness and scalability of our solution.

One of our primary objectives is to bolster our evidence base, leveraging the rigorous evaluation processes embedded within the LEAP framework. By collecting comprehensive data and insights throughout the sprint, we anticipate building a robust foundation of evidence that not only demonstrates the impact of our solution but also highlights areas for refinement and improvement, in the context of rural and marginalized populations throughout Colombia. This evidence base will be instrumental in securing funding and support from future implementation partners such as Academia, the public sector and compatible NGOs, as it provides tangible proof of our solution's efficacy and potential for scalable impact.

Moreover, the credibility gained through our participation in the LEAP Project will extend beyond funding opportunities. It will position us as leaders in the realms of public policy, learning advocacy, academia, and education, fostering collaborations and partnerships that further advance our mission of promoting foundational skills for primary school-aged children. By engaging with stakeholders across these diverse spheres, we can amplify our impact and drive meaningful change on a broader scale.

In essence, the desired long-term outcomes of the 12-week LEAP Project sprint for our organization include refining and expanding ENAd, strengthening our evidence base, securing funding, and enhancing credibility across multiple sectors. Through these outcomes, we aim to solidify our position as a driving force in the advocacy for foundational skills education, ultimately empowering children to thrive academically and beyond.